A 40-year-old message in a bottle, featuring a gin-soaked letter and a rare 1974 two-dollar bill with Queen Elizabeth’s youthful portrait, has washed ashore at Canada’s remote Sable Island National Park after its journey from a British supply ship in 1983.
Key Takeaways
- The message bottle from January 14, 1983, was discovered by archaeology technician Mark Doucette on Sable Island, approximately 300 kilometers southeast of Halifax.
- Contents included a gin-soaked letter from crew members of the British supply ship Wimpey Sea Hunter and a now-obsolete Canadian two-dollar bill from 1974.
- The bottle was sealed with electrical tape, preserving its contents despite being adrift for 42 years before discovery.
- The north side of Sable Island acts as a natural catchment area for ocean debris, with message bottles typically found about once per year.
- After documentation, the historical artifact has been sent to Parks Canada archives for further study and preservation.
Maritime Mystery Washes Ashore
On May 23, 2024, Sable Island National Park Reserve announced via Facebook the discovery of a remarkable piece of maritime history. Mark Doucette, an archaeology technician from Potlotek First Nation, located a weathered Gordon’s gin bottle on the northern shores of the remote Canadian island. Despite being sandblasted by decades of exposure to the elements, the bottle remained intact, its contents preserved by a careful seal of electrical tape. The finding adds to the growing collection of oceanic artifacts that regularly appear on this isolated stretch of land known for capturing floating debris from across the Atlantic.
“The message is very faded, but we could make out that the bottle was sent to sea Jan. 14, 1983, from a resupply ship operating near Sable Island,” reported Sable Island National Park Reserve.
Gin-Preserved History
When park officials first examined the bottle’s contents, they were greeted with an unmistakable aroma. “Well, first off, you could still smell the gin!” exclaimed Jennifer Nicholson, highlighting how the alcohol had partially dissolved some of the ink on the letter. As the damp paper dried, impressions from the original pen became more visible, gradually revealing crucial details about its origins. The message contained a congratulatory note to whoever might find it, along with a list of crew members’ names, though none have been successfully tracked down yet.
“It was a little hard to make out the ship’s name at first. You could tell it ended with ‘Sea Hunter,'” noted Jennifer Nicholson. Further research identified the vessel as the Wimpey Sea Hunter, a British supply ship built in 1982, likely servicing offshore oil and gas platforms near Canadian waters during its 1983 voyage.
Monetary Memento
Perhaps the most intriguing item within the bottle was a 1974 Canadian two-dollar bill featuring a young Queen Elizabeth II. This currency, discontinued in 1996 when Canada replaced it with a coin, was so unfamiliar that some younger park staff had never seen one before. The inclusion of this now-historical tender adds significant value to the find, providing tangible evidence of the era from which the message originated. According to researcher Sarah Medill, the note stated, “We’re from the crew of the Wimpy Seahunter supply ship” and included “Congratulations” to whoever found it, suggesting the money was intended as a reward.
“Congratulations,” read part of the note, according to Sarah Medill.
Part of a Larger Pattern
This discovery isn’t an isolated incident for Sable Island, which typically yields approximately one message bottle annually. The island’s northern shore functions as a natural collection point for ocean debris, capturing everything from household appliances to products with foreign labels. Message bottles from the 1980s are particularly common finds along Nova Scotia’s coastline, though colleagues have reportedly discovered specimens dating back to the 1930s, making them nearly a century old. This latest find from the Wimpey Sea Hunter joins a growing archive documenting human connections across time and the ocean.
The bottle’s remarkable 42-year journey at sea before finding its way back to essentially where it began demonstrates the unpredictable nature of ocean currents and the durability of properly sealed glass containers. After thorough documentation, this piece of maritime communication has been transported to Parks Canada archives, where it will undergo further study and preservation for future generations. The story of the Wimpey Sea Hunter and its crew continues to intrigue historians and maritime enthusiasts as they search for more information about this vessel’s journey in early 1983.
